Professor Layton: Missing in Venice
by TheSpookster
Summary: [A weird little story I wrote when I was younger. Beware] Professor Layton and friends stop in Venice, Italy, for a refueling break (seems like a running thing for me). They discover some very odd happening around the city. Slight Azran Legacy spoilers at the end, as well as major WHAT THE HECK moments.


**Don't ask.**

**To tide people over before I finish my other stories, here's a gem I had to write for a school 'short story' project. I got a picture of Venice, Italy, and had to write an imaginative story about it.**

**And here it is.**

**Forgive me.**

**There are Azran Legacy spoilers, so beware. I also might have a typo or two, because I was weird when I was younger.**

**I also don't own Professor Layton.**

* * *

><p>The Bostonius flew through the air, propelling itself gracefully as it traveled to its next destination. Its passengers were traveling all over the world to unlock the ancient mysteries of the Azran people. These passengers included Desmond Sycamore, an archeologist, Professor Hershel Layton, also an archeologist, Luke Triton, Layton's apprentice, Emmy Altava, Layton's assistant, and Aurora, the emissary of the Azran. Flying the Bostonius was Sycamore's butler, Raymond. Keats, the puzzle cat, was lounging on the couch, much to Sycamore's disapproval.<p>

"Luke, can you please tell this feline to remove itself from my spot on the couch?" Sycamore asked, frustrated.

"Fine," Luke walked over to Keats. Luke's special ability was that he could talk to animals. "Meow Meow, Mreow, Meow Mew?"

Keats hissed, startling Sycamore and causing Luke to flinch.

"You don't want to know what he said," Luke said wistfully.

Sycamore gave the cat an evil eye as he walked over to where Raymond was steering the Bostonius.

"Is it time, master?" Raymond inquired.

"Yes," Sycamore replied in a low voice so Luke couldn't hear. Raymond picked up a walkie-talkie-intercom-thing (Emmy named it) to get the attention of the others in their rooms.

"Attention others who are not present in the main room, we will be stopping in Venice, Italy to refuel in a moment. Please move into the main room. "

"VENICE? ITALY?" They heard Emmy shout in her room. "MEATBALLS!" She ran out of her room chanting "MEATBALLS". Luke couldn't resist in joining in. He instead chanted "MAC N' CHEESE". Layton and Aurora also stepped out of their rooms.

"What is mac n' cheese?" asked Aurora, who, after thousands of years trapped in ice, was still getting used to the 21st century.

"American," Layton replied. "Many people think it originated in Italy, but that is a misconception."

As they landed, Layton couldn't help but notice some ships headed towards a small canal. Before he could see how such large ships could fit in such a small space, Raymond veered sharply towards a landing pad, obscuring his view. After landing, Raymond refueled the Bostonius. Because of Luke and Emmy's pleas, the five-some set off to go sight-seeing. Keats stayed in the Bostonius.

"Good riddance," mumbled Sycamore. He didn't know that Keats heard him.

* * *

><p>As they walked around Venice, trying to find a pasta place, Aurora was feeling uncomfortable.<p>

"The Azran, I sense them…" she said, sounding in a trance.

"But there aren't going to be any Azran eggs here! The Celestial King's map said so!" Emmy protested.

"Yes, but don't forget, there may be Azran ruins around here, even if there are no artifacts," Layton deducted. "The people who live here might not even know they have ruins around here!"

As they talked, no one noticed that Sycamore was no longer with them. Before they could notice, a woman came running towards them, shouting and screaming.

"Oh, it's terrible!" She screeched. "Another group of boats disappeared!"

"What do you mean, miss?" asked Layton.

"For the past few weeks, a number of ships have been heading towards a canal!" she explained. "We don't know how they fit, but it turns out the canal gets bigger when larger ships pass through! They seem to go underwater once the canal widens, but the canal comes back together some quickly that no one can send a submarine in to investigate! We would be able to try and predict when it opens to send a submarine in, but it opens randomly! Luckily, most of the people are able to get off the boats before they submerge."

Layton nodded "Interesting, may we please see the canal of subject?"

"Of course!" the woman replied. "You're the famous Professor Layton, are you not?"

"Indeed I am, and this is my apprentice, Luke, my assistant, Emmy, my friend, Aurora, and my fellow archeologist partner Desmon-"He faltered. Sycamore wasn't with them!

"I'm Patty," said the woman. "Come; follow me, so you can see the next round of boats!"

Aurora, Emmy, and Luke followed, while Layton stayed behind, thinking of all he just heard…

They went inside a building that a local police force had been stationed. They, along with the police, waited for a few moments before they started to move! They weren't moving, but the buildings were!

"They're getting wider!" cried Luke.

"The boats are coming!" Patty screeched.

She was right. Many different boats, large and small, began to pass through the canal. Suddenly, Layton had an idea.

"Follow me!" he told his friends as well as a few police officers. As a large boat passed by, they all jumped onto it. Layton saw the ship's crew franticly jumping off the boat. Even with her mighty engines in reverse, the ocean liner was pulled further and further down the canal.

"Everyone! Get below deck!" Layton ordered. Patty, Aurora, and the police made haste rushing below the deck, but Luke and Emmy stayed put.

"We aren't going to leave you here, Professor!" Emmy cried.

"I know what I'm doing!" Layton reassured. Luke and Emmy exchanged looks, and went below deck reluctantly. Layton waited a second, and what he expected happened. The boat began to sink into the water, and the canal began to close around it. Layton then hurried below deck with the others. There was a loud crash and…

* * *

><p>Silence.<p>

Layton and the others made their way up on deck and out of the boat.

"The Azran…" Aurora said. They were in a very, very, _very _large room filled with boats. The room was covered with many Azran designs, and a long stairway up to some doors implied they were underground.

"You were right, Aurora! There was an Azran Ruin in Venice!" Luke said excitedly.

"Or near Venice." Emmy pointed out.

"But how was this here all this time, and why with all the boats?" a policeman asked.

"I think I pieced all together…" Layton started.

"Get ready Aurora!" Luke said giddily. "Your mind is about to be blown by the professors elaborate explanations!" Aurora stood motionless.

Layton began to walk around. "This is most definitely an Azran sanctuary and someone besides us knows that. Azran ruins have special magnets in them that draw weapons and items of harm to them. I theorize this was a holding place for those items, but also has one of these magnets. Many types of boats can be seen as destructive, which is why they were pulled down here. But the moving the houses to make a bigger canal was not part of the Azran ruins, but part of a plot to find the Arzan ruins! And I have deducted," he began. "That YOU were the one who made the mechanism to open the canal!" he pointed at Patty.

"What?" Patty asked. Then she began to laugh, but she sounded more like a man than a woman! "Very impressive, Layton, does anything get by you?" She pulled out a black hat; put it on, and…

"It's you!" cried Luke.

Patty was now a tall man wearing a mask, a long grey cloak, and a white feather boa around his neck.

"Descole," said Emmy.

"I had a feeling it was you, Descole. Also, you make a very dashing cross dresser, as this is your second time," Layton said slyly.

Descole gritted his teeth, but did his best to not be offended. "When did you realize I was involved?"

"When you told me, while you were in your "clever" disguise, to 'come see the next round of boats'!" Layton explained. "Only the person who created the device that opens the canal would know when to expect it to open!"

"Whatever," huffed Descole. "All I care about is the fact you lead me right to the Azran ruins! There may be no egg here, but this does give me more insight into the Azran! Now, have your fun finding the rest of the Azran keys! We'll be seeing each other again very soon!" With that, he dashed up the stairs, the policemen after him (They were not able to catch him).

"Shouldn't we go after him?" asked Luke.

"No," answered Layton. "Let us not act rashly."

"There is no egg here…" said Aurora, as if the others hadn't caught on to that.

"Let's leave!" Emmy said exasperated. "I've had enough sight-seeing for one day!" The four-some left the ruins in peace.

* * *

><p>Back at the Bostonius…<p>

Aurora, Luke, Emmy, and Layton arrived back at the landing pad.

"Where's Professor Sycamore?" asked Luke, bringing up a question none of them considered since Layton brought it up a long time ago.

"I'm right here!"

Luke jumped a mile when Sycamore tapped him on the shoulder.

"Waah! Where were you Professor Sycamore?" Luke asked while shaking.

"I got us some fine Italian food!" Sycamore replied happily. He held bags with Italian goodies.

"YUUUUUUUUUUM!" Emmy and Luke said simultaneously. They all entered the Bostonius. Everyone ate something, even Keats, who wanted to try gelato, but, sadly, it wasn't the ice cream he thought it would be.

"Mac n' cheese!" Luke cried.

"Ravioli!" Emmy shrieked.

"Balls of meat!" Aurora said softly.

"Italian tea!" sighed Layton.

Sycamore smiled and walked over to where Raymond was sitting, where he was eating different breadsticks. Sycamore readjusted his glasses. Raymond took notice.

"Everything go smoothly, master?" Raymond asked softly.

"Of course," replied Sycamore. He took something out of his pocket and put it in a drawer near the Bostonius's steering wheel.

A white mask.

Sycamore smiled to himself and rejoined the others, letting Keats sit next to him. They told him about the canal and the Azran ruins as Raymond set off towards the sky.

Sycamore listened, but already knew…

THE END


End file.
